Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Namesake: A Commissario Alec Blume Novel
The Namesake: A Commissario Alec Blume Novel
The Namesake: A Commissario Alec Blume Novel
Ebook483 pages7 hours

The Namesake: A Commissario Alec Blume Novel

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The disappearance of Matteo Arconti, an innocent insurance man from Milan, is no mistake. That much becomes clear when his body is discovered mere feet away from the office of another Matteo Arconti--a court magistrate known for his close scrutiny of mafia movements.
This namesake killing broadcasts a clear message of defiance and intimidation from a powerful crime syndicate. But whom, exactly, is the murder intended to intimidate?
Commissario Alec Blume thinks he knows who's behind it all--Italy's most efficient and secretive mafia, the Ndrangheta, whose principals have operated untouchably from Germany for years. This is Blume's chance to lure the arrogant mafiosi out of their hiding place.
As a personal friend of Judge Arconti, however, Blume is too close to the case to formally investigate. Handing control over to his partner, Caterina Mattiola, he willingly takes a backseat--that is, until he decides to speed things up and secretly falsifies a mob wife's confession.
This plan forces Blume into an electrifying chase across Italy, from Naples to Calabria. As he races to right his wrongs and save innocent lives, Commissario Blume must ask himself whether he has finally gone too far...
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 12, 2012
ISBN9781620400135
The Namesake: A Commissario Alec Blume Novel
Author

Conor Fitzgerald

Conor Fitzgerald has lived in Ireland, the UK, the United States and Italy. He has worked as an arts editor, produced a current affairs journal for foreign embassies based in Rome, and founded a successful translation company. He is married with two children and lives in Rome. The Namesake is the third in his series of Italian Crime novels.

Read more from Conor Fitzgerald

Related to The Namesake

Related ebooks

Police Procedural For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for The Namesake

Rating: 3.2 out of 5 stars
3/5

5 ratings3 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
     I started this on audiobook in the car, but after a disc and a half I just wasn't getting on with it. i now see it is the third in a series, which may explain the sensation of having missed a whole pile of information somewhere. I didn't like the use of Italian phrases with no explanation when I don't speak sufficient Italian to know what they meant. OK, so it was set in Italy & based on a mafia case, but don't assume I know enough to understand the strange titles of those in the various groups, sub groups and goodness only knows what that this got into. I was very lost. And the narrator did sound convincing. The magistrate was supposedly in his 60s, but was read as a doddery old man sounding decades older. Not for me, so abandoned.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the first Comissario Alec Blume story that I have read and I don't think I would read another. I did not like Alec Blume, his character was a little bland and uninteresting. I did however enjoy the storyline. I love stories about the Mafia and the locale was great. Although it was not my favorite I would definitely recommend this to all my mystery loving friends to decide for themselves.Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While this is the third book featuring Commissario Alec Blume, The Namesake is the first I have read from this British author. Part police procedural/part crime thriller, this series is set in Italy and pits Blume, more often than not, against the organised crime families of Italy. In The Namesake, the body of a man who bears the same name as a Magistrate, is dumped outside of a courthouse in Rome, a threat that Blume attributes to the Ndreangheta. Seizing an opportunity that might force Ndreangheta's second in command, Curmaci, to return from Germany, Blume leaves the investigation of the dead body to his girlfriend and colleague, Caterina and reluctantly working with the DSCA, Blume makes a bold move against Curmaci, that has the potential to backfire spectacularly.Corruption, vengeance, loyalty and honour are the main themes explored amidst both the justice and organised crime systems of Italy. The main plot involves Blume's desire to bring down Curmaci which is supported by several subplots including the investigation of the namesake killing, the abduction of a young girl, a 'family' tussle for power, the relationship between the sons of Curmaci and his rival Tony, and a man out for vengeance. While the events in the novel take place over only a week, and there is a fair bit of action, The Namesake can be dense with detail at times which slows the pace considerably. The detail is interesting in and of itself, but does not always contribute directly to the story so I found my attention wavering occasionally.Blume is an enigmatic character, while deeply flawed he is also a man with strong principles. I never really got a handle on his motivation for his determination to bring down Curmaci, though there is a vague mention of a previous incident between them and I think it must be something I missed, not having read the first two books.Of the supportive characters, it was the teenage Ruggerio that caught my attention. The son of Curmaci, he is not sure of his position in the Ndreangheta family but eventually he makes decisions that sets his path.The Namesake is a literary crime novel, atmospheric with interesting characters. I would have liked to have read the previous titles in the series, The Dogs Of Rome and The Fatal Touch first but The Namesake does still work as a stand alone.

Book preview

The Namesake - Conor Fitzgerald

1^book_preview_excerpt.html}ْ#Ǖ寄fP[iUHEѺjDӼ9+ccI0/3/sν,Jm&fw9w.4}ߜ(o*kם .x~5VxJo1αj)a >VMխ4WO]ŕaMbPrbW_Lg\3Np{|߯KߤClqK+ #&暦s!bE;4?،xg.tCnQ{z׷qJm1V0k?]_t=x<=o?LZxbW4cC \u:N7$\=]8va5X:\t8Q g\|:_Хӎ=Ϥ>Gl(@IVW5B[vN8l +9nJxUy/zd߇,zXTqGU,x:cXOiױI?>kj[^{fW88N"ua:ŤkH:AJJhϐ)=5!kdwܯ.LC{zjعN#/b{Rb٤vIn>Ms߀P! < KG-pwj|jc\EH-Xp̝8O9:ݜW~>&=y)m{d|2^cK ^DH4lt$*O dD10 PSqsS=Tą=%4OIy m_3 !~|p{ܐ@]ŗ: |wge*(:`͝_%>< PCnaP1jo.C{@޿D1RBh!6f L Z4Bd8Ǚkcٲ)P2OVekZ8N% =-ԩ'`FO;_ӎ=_`O;QDυ<<8OiڞFD`,(=.ȔՓf-0Bpo\F'zSZ8-w-y iUopv#ïihB3HBk0 Gm:Dh[fdZGZ<4@',A =H.rQ \$Sb%;\٦yL@ ũ ?c{p:b\Z>Fq84Ixpd )CKa:F蕅DDiCJL*]$d8ik+I=%]Eg`-wq.^WZ{z};ZgZ'4΅:rU)eD 3g݁&\ֽ$mcpNßtxtk~p>7µHMJ-Jy‰Md$ a1^05HGh DP0uX IBڂRO8Vjl֊ ^%j{~@\\,B^&9C?ۿq<X,*ŕb}9Q=Z!M0{Q43B';K17oX:<t?h?uA9%CI؎?rfz;4 L#4ƃHW=j&;MP lQj?H v;k4R$t0&c%3dcy+# 0WQk0*v?ĬCwfABz`e<8BCetġ~9$xn_MAAfx_+9v,&ٵ25h.4UdPҩ* @xd;sHAOm6/ZMn BhxOw ;Lɚ3Y07qgo"s&\d6w5~W`v[uP, Q"< ,Jh/ʝJ4uhl-(QlGsc*rm/u~򺿚OѤ_B"?x_OM؇5ꞌIpu ~8#yvLr@iر4>~6]T17T9:* JTNQ7A|F6:<:ܭw\c @b~suCF?mn%>JG gq@I8P?:ĆowD#;KҮc|0f:Ž& tXOtiC< a+& )9xpIu02S]P~`?cبe6⊊ꡯut֪o" C҆:tttŢmfpIΦ_2>B>Ry\h9K{wj Z CiDa\EfD0̝EDƓ©|;h Ѱ8=W"%ﱔlw3uJ[/,S]DAf_~ jzEvLD{~JH !?ZvTKAd'3y;0j@"#t#P=+Rotܵ^ː (+G&>8?c0Ś(@/#p0veUC)45vp@udl{HfW:$@)أ%f1 7WoO{ʯt$OԦ#iy$7XO1<W 8{3(XL({N9#W;P.gl&I#Nji F1Mv^SXtҝ˖|0APJ,T*Y3yKݽ-fgo9eDbJb[#w29~_-;IOyFGFZ/cI:ZkSx9T S1u<:G](U蹃ٟpoڒZ_={.w58bTWE5g0VÒub$]<(C"!~௅W8_*$*|AF&*4Lfyɼ#%GNows<|BC, maݠ4ܸ ZpUwPDBOzxo!5% L1&S2rȠe y"twACZXIyKzÅ2M7y"u+&Cc+?"π&q`rxG:P>D&&XQ]hZzJKR~Tb'"ǁ!o=nruLf0CX+9]@]֑6s@kU BB 1M'n;mYBs^ WA~t22nSYBlfQ'TJ4;V]`~ÑLcDYP$5uw4@CǁfBL^-=j՟ -ĵ1jh|m}cȧIB>%z" ܒ3 (]ir! : Uϝ=m6IB|xg?w!2c `~GoD7zq)u)cHs`V:T.S˫sVw7,@@Ѯ$ iHʝ9 _Xj3X8(\G _aIhxZ1ykp˴ u;1ѥ~C!RuaA.=#ĝ:c " ^l+OZ L4T~S^R0RnC#.*w9C;-*MsRZ7gLD6CSCƸ QXp1BNP:ґq`1=Pkwbr82t]\s.{K~q댼G؂LU gZL H~y ;5Wh)XYNQJo!;* HsH,)M}CT\K/ u.n6Xjm-̬ssqʹwR#}snë9jp>.q @3*}Be;VbM%_pvx/CDދn5ꞾhS3X=qan/ uF|]U.sx5lx!2ངO8BQ#ј 'KF6N4ܤ,(kiԚi;XnRHHJ\v'jT0V:{@Y ˛RLjNu'pO߆w )iap|!PZa];3zh:K,Jt?և) Ģ<xʀn/1E'<*'KȠ%]e̘o"\E O/16Y!X(AnY/R،뢒He1O0؊-I=K%Cf|C%wg[*^ԯ-Sb. *sX[3lJ,jEgC㑙Lo*O†bGxUXp0]duV%=Iݻ\_)ڥVorEk\43DheTA>KJh#v>U+xEˤTJe Kft8 =wY\K6.ЉKY wRYʏ\ ŵ%VWU\Bu_~6ws輮#6c\8hH.P*FsIhz ' 1`AMŵaƕy U`EyJIEE}Y> V ]-yE "_[jb<|8cpASo:cQE2AN\Eш@VzK~))J3N5oэ }=+ Y٪KѠUFB?he]y T%[h+v{~MlC1xwrfmmY<Jׁ͌c1Gj. wv;͎H(YE뷰fD* ("chWY\Lw wnmx9ċHJtRB%W!{ӤR?ly>.eqm.{/ zfƘ0$~Wڀ)4>D+ 80o$Aͭ~2#̥ cٕAU'[BtBu ,Q8eJ; (ɇZG6*ɝOTTkxlfazc@j \K;RVvA\+=R6&u!BAu.x>Y%W_ZPx M{Jm.xhwM\&!}Z*?U]݂=R~,\ihFEϊ/m9DQԴ^]l*a)VPd7*7a0RaJ׀Wl{ɁŨlvBW.zO@ JTot/E_o~S#5IMEnkN+ n1 Nt6# 﫾;@}!yX_*g-xVFvKapVIv)U|?~O 6lmHœ>L<1ĭȔaosfѶP}}Z7= %mG_c)0q`O"eh2M+F= ,ݩIQ&7w}t ˆtA6[lĝFkPdل ^MZDF i>{ 3 ;_λQO\T8Թ]Gg!U Zh`[GS(52Mx)w:ثt,ptZŤTdK_&%l)R|dR XOR]),YULfPpH ϚOWv, *qnۢ|2)~e9tdU]ZW{,j2_FpY.5BޚXĬV~9:m2/UtE,Te.$-=ݲsͷ]:Zw;n%Ki.*,V ]Bۃwb W,eEY(JS̃~ za]-CSa[X<"Ń58$eceFњ~'(fhJ1_xqN.K)gpKxKS LbD(x=m>A&I/ (v uEsݕ#\bI+լY^}C*r/٧RsuB4bAg[w^f>"!f%9J>/ d,*6ZX;wMY%x* Cp󮭭e`@m5K^M"xr\x's E>O%fs c,*%Bpq 61~[@`Lr`<h&^TF| !sʖ1P5g,GK pAq]*.74]~x.Е.[2g-.UOhb下} `y4-J])&AVRռV(9 BY( laK؈ty.|pSA^N9UoF\-^\/W{Y] x1/M`tSqoF[?Z}'U }\Ev^~.p=TaVSi~2D^-*տh6ݘ. 8agSxޛw:aR<{^[Lf/Q O(囘D|sHXXSUf0=jvUHrﻘ:݌MRi>_+/)YNIE&%H+L8hӇu՛fnM`Mc(Hu54s/BJϋ8J lS|׿_Iv4梸IY+䃠! mDw)$w79L7f1N5|[7!LVr1ƔjM]:Toa)T<ؘ0嘺J:! ՛<|_[u=RԧR{nDž!oˊR+ܐJf%PO,r(us jNڴ"NS9rL>lsl *))_)`npTnq>2/pǪM W<9ym@Ġ!D/ÎӸdႆЄm؆C]|I۪ t͋[I'$)U]%J8\tʩs"ධ֜gW+n^>^)&zED4f2[!R|)G%Qo*`!9=a}< 2ڐOB0pf%Ә]7,K౲_E!dZVV*Q]1FP:&K06@]qd;qh :˞J2&ܬuU .FPEK#j5ji[|,w0{Vm6ìD,JbZf}2VJMi|ӯ˖>qN97A~]@}bl#Aߟwࣽ=5l-Wcڛ(x,&^m`ZBfP9Ǡ2t&= ?M\L4ּ |* 9>#sD4ɲÐ^4Kՠ؝Bq>tM֠}xwxKa]ehTs*۬}4K{x=QsU${q>>:2 ˩F6WEK w~T9U&&ɾp/kxTRy TQBI*tJWōi6reeHC0cRe-k*EsX!7XN5 y:ڻX t4 H1n<3_e#)>fwۂ/[T_'݆&`@e7ksɐew^2 [Xtʅ{gCJ6׳ߜV>Z+Eyq1Icۭ]3[,9sW+x[a[YګDF-`O=7c/2<,u}ۯ!!դS|0»jAtD Ax/][G \hM3}NuTms|o<;^P,pn<_zt%ayxq-hV[vP[=D̑RB;oCsc~ZqX)uvіa)5nu\B|>ϏÞj/Nх񋭽ͥ1SU\Bi40^|b58Ϧ7 \`:.̓uQvb\ˊr ԎĹsiF8[P(abe(z E4DU3O}N =Mi*ul8<3+[3IWTW烪Ldoݹ7W#NC^2ab)!YgmwG&DmRL{K,oPؠɘ|'H*i~9 p3P)R P K껯[_f.T_t8+wvְ/4WfpbYե9Tͦ?feer>nGu~ %^dT ˷m? Y,l ^][ +S [g8hr|{HL_Sm `n#kwNu7k!Xa-?bߧ 2Y[L]`kQʓzy1qٲffSEy˟K]]m2r(\N?σQzw5=Uo"/B򉥊L}Ek٩LFYq>yA-M7f 2uQAn.fc<^;G(j s~QHl 62a[GAXwHa3zi;3wUhЮ[qeNz/$[diCJ>ƜW+s[§E_`{9=a5 zɃeEU~К4Qhc錷741Fp[/rOwo_?N2%"-K߮T>?*,-33OnoXLD=f$ hiH;WҢR7 G#6`.MmooJ[Uw)P?[/ԫ9b[h5Ϥu^iO(DVoS1|:PZFr_9V²L8 4~1- 7PGUZ-0&sܹ֫1?A y.Ol,HKu}$H
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1